The Review and Herald
March 31, 1910
The World's Need
In this age of boasted enlightenment, the Christian church is confronted with a world lying in midnight darkness, almost wholly given over to idolatry. A well-nigh universal disregard of the law of Jehovah is rapidly making the world like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. As in the days before the flood, violence is filling the land. Gambling and robbery are coming to be common evils. The use of intoxicating liquors is on the increase. Many who have followed their own unsanctified will, seek to end their unprofitable lives by suicide. Iniquity and crime of every order are found in the high places of the earth, and those who assent to these wrongs are seeking to shield the guilty ones from punishment. Not one hundredth part of the corruptions that exist is being made plain to the world. Little of the cruelty that is carried on is known. The wickedness of men has almost reached its limit. RH March 31, 1910, par. 1
In many ways Satan is revealing that he rules the world. He is influencing the hearts of men, and corrupting their minds. Men in high places are giving evidence that their thoughts are evil continually. Many are seeking after riches, and scruple not to add to their wealth through fraudulent transactions. The Lord is permitting these men to expose one another in their evil deeds. Some of their iniquitous practises are being laid open before the world, that thinking men who still have a desire in their hearts to be honest and just with their fellow men, may understand why God is beginning to send his judgments on the earth. The Lord will surely punish the world for its iniquity; “the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” RH March 31, 1910, par. 2
This age presents a sad picture to those whose eyes have been opened to discern the evils that prevail on every hand. The fear and love of God have almost left the world. This is the time prophesied of by Isaiah, when “darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.” Multitudes are led away by the delusions of a faithless generation, and are living in the darkness of error. The prevailing spirit of our time is that of infidelity and apostasy,—a spirit of pretended illumination because of a supposed knowledge of truth, but in reality of the blindest presumption. There is a spirit of opposition to the plain word of God, and to the testimony of his Spirit. There is a spirit of idolatrous exaltation of mere human reason above the revealed wisdom of God. RH March 31, 1910, par. 3
The baleful spirit of unbelief is found in every land, and is permeating all ranks of society. It is taught freely in many of the universities, colleges, and high schools, and it comes even into the lessons taught in the common schools and the nurseries. Thousands who profess to be Christians give heed to lying spirits. Everywhere the spirit of darkness in the garb of religion confronts the seeker after truth. RH March 31, 1910, par. 4
The Lord in compassion is seeking to enlighten the understanding of those who are now groping in the darkness of error. He is delaying his judgments upon an impenitent world, in order that his light-bearers may seek and save that which is lost. He is now calling upon his church on the earth to awake from the lethargy that Satan has sought to bring upon them, and fulfil their heaven-appointed work of enlightening the world. His message to his church at this time is, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” To meet the conditions existing at the time when darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, the church of God has been commissioned to co-operate with God in shedding abroad the light of Bible truth. To those who seek to do their part faithfully as bearers of precious light, is given the assurance: “The Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” RH March 31, 1910, par. 5
The world today is in crying need of a revelation of Christ Jesus in the person of his saints. God desires that his people shall stand before the world a holy people. Why?—Because there is a world to be saved by the light of gospel truth; and as the message of truth that is to call men out of darkness into God's marvelous light, is given by the church, the lives of its members, sanctified by the Spirit of truth, are to bear witness to the verity of the messages proclaimed. RH March 31, 1910, par. 6
God desires his people to place themselves in right relation to him, that they may understand what he requires of them above all things else. They are to reveal to every struggling soul in the world what it means “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly” with their God. Wherever they are, at home or abroad, they are to be his commandment-keeping people. They are to have the assurance that their sins are forgiven, and that they are accepted as children of the Most High. RH March 31, 1910, par. 7
The world is in need of a demonstration of practical Christianity. In view of the fact that those who claim to be followers of Christ are a spectacle to an unbelieving world, it behooves them to make sure that they are in right relation with God. They can not afford to let one day pass in which they do not lay hold by living faith on the God of Israel. In order to stand as lights in the world, they need to have the clear light of the Sun of Righteousness constantly shining upon them. Ever are they to remember that all about them is a world lying in darkness, and perishing for lack of knowledge. RH March 31, 1910, par. 8
When God's people so fully separate themselves from evil that he can let the light of heaven rest upon them in rich measure, and shine forth from them to the world, then there will be fulfilled, more fully than it has ever been fulfilled in the past, the prophecy of Isaiah, in which the servant of God declared of the remnant church in the last days: “The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” RH March 31, 1910, par. 9
The world is in need of the saving truth that God has entrusted to his people. The world will perish unless it be given a knowledge of God through his chosen agencies. In the power of the Holy Spirit, those who are laborers together with God are to labor with unflagging zeal, and shed abroad in the world the light of precious truth. As they enter the highways and the by-ways, as they labor in the waste places of the earth, at home and in the regions beyond, they will see the salvation of God revealed in a remarkable manner. RH March 31, 1910, par. 10
God's faithful messengers are to seek to carry forward the Lord's work in his appointed way. They are to place themselves in close connection with the Great Teacher, that they may be daily taught of God. They are to wrestle with God in earnest prayer for a baptism of the Holy Spirit, that they may meet the needs of a world perishing in sin. All power is promised those who go forth in faith to proclaim the everlasting gospel. As the servants of God bear to the world a living message fresh from the throne of glory, the light of truth will shine forth as a lamp that burneth, reaching to all parts of the world. Thus the darkness of error and unbelief will be dispelled from the minds of the honest in heart in all lands, who are now seeking after God, if haply they may “feel after him, and find him.” RH March 31, 1910, par. 11